Africa-Press – Malawi. Senior Resident Magistrate Court in Nkhata-Bay has remanded a police officer, Richard Mvula aged 36, to Nkhata-Bay prison for an alleged crime of gross indecency against a 20-year-old police officer.
Reports indicate that the crime was committed in the early hours of 26 October,2023 at Kakumbi area in the district. Appearing before the court, the suspect denied the charge leveled against him.
The complainant told the court that the incident happened around 1:00am where the suspect came to his house as workmate. The suspect slept on the same bed with the complainant and then he started playing with the complainant’s manhood while caressing him on the chest.
Furthermore, the victim told the court that he decided to have the case withdrawn because the suspect had pleaded with him outside the court on grounds that he is the bread winner in his family and that he has been on suspension for four years.
The state sought direction of the court on the complainant’s indication to have the matter withdrawn. Senior resident magistrate Mateo Chitha requested for a formal application by the state. In compliance with that, the state applied, under section 81(a) of the Criminal Procedure and evidence code, to have the matter withdrawn.
In his determination, His Worship Mateo Chitha denied the application on the basis that the argued reasons were not sufficient for the court to grant consent of withdrawal of the matter. Therefore, the court ordered a continuation of the case. Mvula applied for bail to which the state made no objections stating that there is no sign that he may escape.
However, the Senior Resident Magistrate denied giving bail to the suspect on the grounds that it is not in the interest of justice that bail be granted to the accused as there is likelihood of him compromising the remaining state witnesses as he did with the complainant persuading him to have the case withdrawn.
The court, therefore, ordered him to be remanded to Nkhata- Bay prison and the case has been adjourned to 1 November, 2023 for further hearing of the state witnesses. Meanwhile, Richard Mvula hails from Chinyera village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Ntwalo in Mzimba district.
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